MORIARTY Fixes His Optic Blast On X-MEN 2!!

Xtraordinary. Xceptional. Xcellent.

Is that enough X jokes? Can we go ahead and dig right in and talk about why this is one of the most creatively successful franchise films in recent memory?

First of all, let me get the by now almost perfunctory congratulations to Marvel Studios out of the way. This may be their strongest overall property, and if I were them, I’d protect it the way MGM protects the Bond license. Fox and Marvel should be quite happy together, making X-MEN films from now ‘till the end of movies. You can always bring in new cast, and right now, there’s a rich and fascinating mythology being set up by these first two films, one with a web of complex and interesting character relationships.

Producers Lauren-Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter have given Bryan Singer room to stretch this time out, and the result is a film that feels so much fuller and more alive than the first one that the comparison is almost unfair. I loved the first X-MEN when I saw it, and I feel the same way about this one. This time out, though, there’s no sense that you need to excuse certain limitations because of production difficulty or time constraints or budgetary concerns. There’s no sense of compromise here at all. This is a giant budget film, and every mutant character is allowed to fly the freak flag high. The action is better, the design is richer, the characters are allowed to do more. It’s a wonderful example of how to come back to a world and get the most out of it. Right now, right here, I want to beg Bryan Singer to make X-MEN 3, and to follow the set-up from this film to its logical and remarkable conclusion. If you do it... if you go for it the way it looks like you’re going for it... this is going to be an untouchably cool trio of movies. As it stands right now, you did exactly what you set out to do. It’s EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. It’s THE ROAD WARRIOR. It’s WRATH OF KHAN. It’s a second film that’s better than the first, and it deserves to be a monster, monster hit.

Now... here’s my one caveat. This film might actually be too good at what it does for some of the mainstream to totally get onboard. The terminology flies fast and furious in the film, and we are introduced to so many characters and so many storylines that it’s sort of like picking up in the middle of the season with a TV show. I would recommend that people revisit the first film immediately before going to see the sequel. It will pay off beautifully if you do. Dan Harris and Mike Doughterty (working from an initial draft by Zak Penn and subsequent revisions by David Hayter and Singer himself) have fine-tuned this to make sure that continuity is meticulous, and the character work picks up exactly where it left off last time. This is issue two, and as a result of our knowledge of incidents the first time around, the film doesn’t have to waste time with backstory. Instead, when Wolverine pursues the mystery of his own origin, or when reference is made to the Liberty Island incident, it’s not exposition. Instead, it’s progress, and we’re always learning more about characters like Mystique, who makes a spectacular return here. I liked Rebecca Romijn-Stamos in the first film, but she really shines here. I’m one of the critics who liked FEMME FATALE and thought she was wicked fun to watch there. She’s spoken about how hard it is to play Mystique, so let me offer up the thought that it’s worth it. Whatever the effort, it’s worth it. She is the perfect match for Ian McKellen’s Magneto. I love the subtle way that Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) still insists on calling him “Erik.” It’s obvious what Magneto thinks based on a scene where he is talking with one of the students from Xavier’s school, a troubled kid (TADPOLE’s Aaron Stanford) who can control fire. “What’s your name?” “John,” the sullen kid answers. “Your real name,” insists Magneto, and the kid finally smiles, just a bit. “Pyro.” He knows in that moment that he’s found his proper home, his fitting mentor. Life as a mutant seems to be a choice to live like Xavier or live like Magneto. Life’s so hard, predjudice is so ingrained, that the simple act of being a mutant is political. The subtext of the first film, with Xavier as MLK and Magneto as Malcolm X, polar opposites in a quest to achieve civil parity, is turned up here, and it’s complicated in the smartest ways. Foes end up working towards the same ends, or so it seems. The way alliegence shifts in the film is one of the great pleasures of it. The cast works as an ensemble, all of them giving vivid life to these characters, no matter how peripheral.

You’ve got CHUD.com to thank for that poster. I haven’t seen it in theaters yet, but I like it a lot. It’s a striking image of the cast together. I’d like to point out that there’s no mention of the subtitle X-MEN UNITED on the poster or on the print of the film that I saw. It’s just X2. Nothing else.

I don’t want to go into many specifics about story, and I’ll explain why. Yes, I reviewed the script last year. I explained a lot of the film’s basic ideas at that point, and for the most part, that’s the same film I saw tonight. But the film’s better. A lot better. Everything’s been carefully crafted, and it grabs you from the opening sequence. Our introduction to Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) is unforgettable. I’ve heard what a “BAMF!” sounds like now, and it’s exactly right. It’s the same kind of right as the first time we saw Wolverine snap those claws out with a SNIKT! in the bar in the first film. It’s something we’ve been reading for twenty years or more, come to life and realized in a way we never could have hoped for. We don’t know where he comes from. We don’t know anything about him in that opening scene. He’s just as menacing to the audience as he is to the President and the absolutely mystified Secret Servicemen who have to try to stop him. From just this one sequence, it’s obvious that the action in this film works in a whole different way than in the first one. It’s hallucinatory. You don’t think about what’s CG and what’s not. It’s just Nightcrawler, teleporting from room to room, hall to hall, spot to spot, like a creature made of smoke and fangs with a deadly accurate tail.

The marketing of the film places a lot of emphasis on Pyro, Rogue (Anna Paquin), and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), also known as Bobby Drake to his parents, who don’t know what he is. Theirs is a subplot of the film, but all three of the young actors deserve credit for doing strong, appealing work. These are characters we want to see more of. They’ll grow into full-fledged X-Men teammates if they stick with the franchise, and Ashmore in particular is a pleasant surprise.

The film still belongs in large part to Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. He is one of the best new tough guys in film in recent memory. Wolverine is a deadly animal in this film. He’s far more savage here than in the first one. There’s a body count in the film. Those claws of his aren’t just for decoration. It’s not a bloody film, but it is intense. The stakes feel desperate from frame one. I’m delighted to see that Famke Janssen was given a larger role this time out as Jean Grey. She’s the perfect match for Jackman, interesting and beautiful and playing all the grace notes her role allows. Halle Berry’s not saddled with any dialogue that will make your eyes roll this time, and she makes a strong impression as Storm in pretty much every scene she’s in. Stewart’s got to feel good about life after STAR TREK, and his work in these films is at least as good as the best TREK stuff he ever did. Xavier’s an interesting, ambiguous figure at times, and he manages to not play the Professor as a saint. He’s got an agenda just as much as Magneto, and there are things he does to people in this film that I don’t know I agree with. It may be Magneto who snarls “You are a god among insects” to the young mutant Pyro, but Xavier doesn’t seem to have any problem with manipulating and controlling people if he needs to.

There are at least six major set pieces I can think of in this film that are worth seeing again immediately, and there are others, as well. The film’s jammed full of striking imagery. Singer’s helped in large part by the contributions of Thomas Newton Seigel, his long time cinematographer, and the addition of John Ottman to the franchise as composer and editor. Ottman had to sit the first film out, and that’s a shame. There’s a control to the filmmaking here that is fairly impressive. It’s sleek, confident stuff, and there’s a remarkable air of decay to a lot of the movie. It’s unsettling in some ways, and I mean that as a compliment. Seigel’s got a way of shooting this world to make it feel cold, unwelcoming. The school is this haven, this safe place, which makes it so disturbing to see soldiers breaking into it and shooting children. It’s a violation. There’s no question where the film’s sympathies lie. Stryker, the face of the military in this film, is a loathesome bad guy. Brian Cox does absolutely great work here. He’s the real mutant, a man consumed by hatred, inhuman, beyond salvation.

James Marsden doesn’t have a lot to do as Cyclops, but I like what he does when he’s onscreen. He and Jackman still have a strong sense of chemistry, and there’s nothing cooler than seeing Cyclops open up a can of optic blast whoop ass. There are cameos by mutants we don’t really get a chance to meet, like Hank McCoy or some Cajun guy named Remy, but not in the ways you expect. The film is packed with easter eggs for eagle-eyed comic fans, which is why it may have more enduring appeal for really hardcore fans than for casual viewers. That’s not a complaint, though. I love the idea that we’re being treated with real respect. These films treat the source material as worthwhile, something special, something to be preserved and duplicated. True, this isn’t any sort of word-for-word translation of GOD LOVES, MAN KILLS, the Chris Claremont Stryker story that inspired this film’s plot, but it gets the spirit of the thing so right that there’s no room to complain. The X-Men fight as a team here. Everyone plays a role. Even if it’s just one or two scenes, those scenes tend to count.

I think Deathstrike is a visual winner, a well-realized character who just isn’t ultimately given much to do. As much as audiences will like Kelly Hu in the role, she’s really got one big sequence in the movie. It’s a stunner, and based on this, I hope someone gives her a lot to do in another movie. In a way, she’s Darth Maul. There’s nothing wrong with the work she does, except we would probably like more of it. Nightcrawler, on the other hand, is used just right. He doesn’t take over, but he’s given plenty of time to make an impression. Cumming does tremendous work. He’s shy, occasionally proud, drenched in religious zeal, and his connection to Storm pays off with some really nice quiet moments. He was absolutely the right choice as a new team member in this film. He’s flawlessly realized. All the mutant effects seem to be top notch in this film. Magneto’s got a few big moments that are incredibly inventive. Storm’s best moment comes behind the controls of the X-Jet. And the way Cerebro is used this time out is just plain beautiful. Singer never forgets... this is a movie. It’s visual. The images shimmer here. There’s nothing that’s just routine or mundane or matter of fact. He seems to have packed every frame with something to draw the eye, some detail that makes this incredible world seem real. The result is a film you could get lost in, worth full price at the best theater in town, center seat, as soon as possible.

The best thing I can say about X2 is that it doesn’t deserve to be categorized as a “comic book film.” It’s better than that. It’s just a great piece of escapist art. It’s the kind of effortless home run that seemed to categorize every summer of my childhood. It’s the year’s first big-budget studio home run, a film that delivers from end to end. I see this, and I feel like the bar has been set really high for other similar franchises. Making great commercial movies is always something of a magic trick, and it depends on chemistry and the combination of so many different talents that it’s almost impossible to predict. What Fox has done here that Warner Bros. seems unable to do with all of their DC Comics properties is a lesson worth learning. They’ve made an impossible promise to the audience, and they’ve kept it. They’ve made a movie that should satisfy the most demanding of audiences. They’ve managed to keep all the best story secrets and visual surprises a secret. You should avoid all spoilers until you’ve seen the film, and you shouldn’t try to see any more footage than you have already. If you’ve seen the trailers, the great news is that you haven’t seen anything yet. None of what made my jaw hit the floor made it into the trailers. You should experience it cold, the way I did tonight. I can’t wait to see this with a paying crowd opening weekend. I can’t wait to see how much you guys love it.

In plain language, you’ll love it like I loved it, and you’ll want more. Let’s hope Fox and Singer and Dougherty and Harris and the Donners and Ralph Winter and that cast go back to work immediately. X3 can’t get here fast enough.

...and I always thought Mad Max 1, was originally called the Road Warrior but changed outside Oz, with that title then being resurected for the sequel. And just think, genre fans, surely out of X2, Matrix 2 & 3, and Hulk, at least two out of the four have got to hit home. Not to mention Underworld, LOXG and Pirates of the Caribbean (with you know who.) I'm kind of looking forward to the next few months...

He always seems to be able to express his love of a film without going overboard, Harry's major failing (a lot of us still have the Blade 2 review burned on our brains despite therepy).
I loved the first film and considered it at least equal to Donner's Superman as to how comic based films should be made. To read Moriarty say to us that he now knows what a 'BAMF' sounds like fills me with a geeky warmth that will make me be there on first night. I can't wait to see this film. May seems too far away to bear!

Fox, and Bryan Singer, if you are reading this.
Do us three favors
1. Promote this baby BIG TIME!!!
2. Release Some MORE GEEK Merchandises!!!
Such as Full colored, Vibrant T-shirts, X-belts, Cyclops Sunglasses, and music mixes...release them!!! I think You WILL make money! I know I would buy them!
Speaking of music, Is the music GOOD? Cuz, I wonder what the soundtrack impact is gonna be.
ANy themes stands out?
3. Bryan, please Direct X-men 3!
And Halle, Rebecca DON'T QUIT!!! :(
TO ALL People, fans and non-fans:
You should SEE this movie MANY MANY MANY times!!!
Buy X-men merchandises.
X-men is the Next Generation Star Wars!!! ;)

You don't have anything to say? Nothing to contribute? Hmmm...GO FUCK YOURSELF. That can be your mutant power, you can be the Amazing Self-Fucker, and Bryan Singer will put you in the next X-sequel. Hell, Marvel will probably put you into a comic (for the MAX line). Of course, since interest in all freaks and idiots wanes (where DID Anna Nicole go?), you'll end up being a flash in a pan celebrity and end up doing dinner theater in Florida until you put your back out fucking yourself on stage and have to retire. Fuck first posters. Fuck them up their stupid asses.

I want to see this now. I guess us people in the UK can at least be smarmy by the fact that X-Men 2 gets released here first, May 1st. Haha, a whole day and 5 hours before the Americans. Of course, I'm hoping that a press screening will pop up before that.

Still, some people insists Matrix will be definately better than X-2... how do you know for sure?
A masterpiece movie isn't just great action, great plot, and great CGI. Which Matrix is definately going to kickass.
But become a masterpiece, it also has to be Great in Acting, and Characterization!
I think that's what X-men 2 will have! Or very close to have!
No doubt, I love Star Wars, but Star Wars lacks exactly that!
Matrix too, I think! Many people felt Keanu Reeve can't act, etc.
I saw the Matrix trailer last week, and YES it's awesome... but X-men 2 trailer is ALSO Awesome!
And, besides, Moriaty said this: "If you

Of couse it is better than DareDevil, why wouldn't it be? DareDevil is worse than Spider-Man, and Spider-Man ISN'T even going to be better than X2... I read from some other reviews!
And, second thing, You really CAN'T compare this movie to 1st movie.
I read the novel, it kicks first movie's plot SO MUCH it will make 1st movie 'a Stupid movie' by comparasion!
And. almost all scenes from the trailer, IMO, surpasses the first movie by A LONG WAY!! :)

But that's pretty much how you described DD too and that one I would place, I don't know, between David Hasselhoff's Nick Fury and Dolph Lundgren's The Punisher. Okay, I want to love X2. I want it to be bigger and better than the first one, which was great. Trailers so far have been very TV-movie-like and very much in more-of-the-same vein. But I want to believe. Just a bit skeptical. Gambit, huh? Hope he's now wearing pink. And Beast too? Seen trough Cerebro, I guess?

All I want is a good time in theaters. Sounds like I'll get it. Glad to hear those younger characters don't play like some half assed WB show inserted into a good movie, because I was ready to hear that complaint. Damn that Cyclops doesn't get much screen time. I really wanted more from him in the last film, especially since he and Wolverine played so well off each other. It pisses me off that he's been written off as the Geordi La Forge of these movies. At least that cartoon show cast him as the lead...not that that's much to brag about.

Sorry man, didn't mean to ride your wave, seeing that you already mentioned Daredevil. But the treatment DD got on this site is just unbelievable. I wouldn't even rate it medicore as you very generously did. It really took way too many liberties with characters and dumbed down, way down one of the greatest stories in sequential art.

I'm so glad he saved us from Saddam. I hope the next target is Syria (and it will be trust me) and then Jordan and then Libya and then Egypt and then...
pretty soon the whole world will be liberated...but then who will save us from Bush...

ill informed jackasses have to invade every talkback with your juvenile anti-Bush bullshit!? I have an weird and crazy idea: Lets actually talk about the movie Mory just reviewed. Shocking concept I know.

Preferred the other one myself. Firstly,and most importantly, there's less actual naval on show here, secondly, more worryingly, she's got a kind of Hilary Swank thing happening to her face. She's still the sexiest tomboy beanpole on the planet though (after Wolverine)

Having not read Moriarty's review as being spoiler free is the way to be, I really can't wait to see this film! I hope beyond hope that Wolvie carves up Lady D. That they didn't build up a big Wovlerine/Sabertooth rivalry to run throughout the series of films is beyond me (assuming they don't have plans to do so), and having him fight women, no sexism intended, puts the Pollitically Correct shackles on him. Are we really gonna se him go berserk on a woman? Doubt it. Other than that this movie looks gritty and great!
Oh yeah, regarding Reloaded, let's keep that overhyped sequel to the most overrated movie ever made out of the conversation, I seriously couldn't be less excited over a movie if I had barbed wire up my ass.

Seemed like you wanted both in the review. Ah, well...me personally I would go for the franchise choice, since the X-Universe is the largest and most diverse in the comic world. They already have a never ending cast of characters to pick from if they keep it going. Man, I'm all excited...come on May!!!!

Seemed like you wanted both in the review. Ah, well...me personally I would go for the franchise choice, since the X-Universe is the largest and most diverse in the comic world. They already have a never ending cast of characters to pick from if they keep it going. Man, I'm all excited...come on May!!!!

Seemed like you wanted both in the review. Ah, well...me personally I would go for the franchise choice, since the X-Universe is the largest and most diverse in the comic world. They already have a never ending cast of characters to pick from if they keep it going. Man, I'm all excited...come on May!!!!

http://geocities.com/x2movie/news1
Saw X2 a couple days ago! My jaw is still dragging on the floor after what I saw! Now, I'm going to give you my opinion on this film, but please be aware that I can't reveal many spoilers to you. Why you ask? Because the people at FOX will kill me...seriously. They told all of us that we could not reveal what we saw to other people. We actually had to sign a piece of paper!
So I'll say this. X2 is everything X-Men wanted to be. While the first film lacked good effects, good fight scenes, this one reigns supreme. The special effects in this film are mind boggling! Halle Berry's Storm and Famke Janssen's Jean Grey get some of the most spectacular scenes, and there's this amazing thing in the climax of the film where many mutants globally go nuts. If you watch X-Men after seeing this film, X-Men is going to look like crap...I'm sorry, but it's true.
As far as characterization goes, I found X2 to handle it well. A couple characters did seem under-developed, in my opinion. The most notable ones being Cyclops and Deathstrike...but with a cast this big, how can that not happen? Cyclops isn't given much to do in this film, although he does have a major moment in the film. Deathstrike feels like a robot. Nothing more...but don't get me wrong, she kicks ass in every single way, and in a fantastic style, but I really don't feel like I know who she is supposed to be exactly. She barely had any lines in the film.
I found the kiddies to be very interesting though. So many powers are displayed in this film, it's like a mutant circus. I'm not a big fan of the comics, so I'm not sure who was supposed to be who, but there are many unique powers these kids show. One kid is some freaky telepathic mutant. He does some seriously weird $h!#.
The story is much better than the first film. It leaves a far greater impact in the end, and you do end up caring for these characters. Besides a couple characters, I can say I cared for most of them. The ending made me wanna scream, yell, laugh, and cry at the same time. This movie really affected me in a way I never imagined possible for a comic book film. It really makes you think.
All in all, I gotta say that this film is something special. Daredevil, not even Spider-Man compares to this, in my honest opinion...and it's not because of the effects, it's because of the story. Bryan Singer has brought something special for audiences to chew on.

He wasn't shackled too heavily by PC last time round when he skewered Mystique ;-) I think I'm actually looking forward to this more than reloaded at the mometn though. I believe Matrix to be the better film alround, but, for my money, X-men was a more enjoyable "popcorn in a good way" experiance. Again, I think Reloaded will be the better film, but I think X2 might run it close. And thanks frank Cobretti, I was tring to work out who it reminded me of...

him giving Mystique the kabab treatment was fairly "clean", that fight wasn't what I'd call a knockdown fight-to-the-end brawl. The best thing about his character is watching him go nuts, like his matches with the Hulk and Sabertooth and the like, I just can't see him doing that on Deathstrike, and those who have seen the movie will know, but like I said spoiler free for me :)

Yeah, that is pretty much a theme i'm noticing(we all know he's got relationship issues). But he does most of his fighting with the adamanitum, and when he's dueling with a lady, he usually attacks via the claws or with kicks to various parts of their body, not just all out punching them in the face and what not, since that would probably freak a few people out.

Heres how I see the chips falling; X2 has less to live up to. X-Men was good, not great. So it will likely improve upon the first. Matrix is more likely to dissapoint, 1)being a pt2 in a 3 story arc and 2) seeing how the first film was good and came out of nowhere. Matrix will make more $. (though they'll both make a ton, don't worry) X2 will be the more satisfying moviegoing experience overall. They both will "rock" as some of you might say.

I also preferred the original to this shameless cash in. I suppose point taken from Wolvie, though I thought the Mystique fight was the most violent of the film. But I'm not approaching this from the comics (2000AD only in my formative years) only the film and the cartoon now and again. Even so, you did get the impression from the film that if he ever got REALLY pissed off he could unleash a world of pain on anyone. And importantly, it looked like he could do it without the claws if he wanted.

>>ill informed jackasses have to invade every talkback with your juvenile anti-Bush bullshit!? I have an weird and crazy idea: Lets actually talk about the movie Mory just reviewed. Shocking concept I know.
<<
yeah I know right ;)
Some people really got other issues to worry about (say their own) than Bush's agendas, if they can't damn post the Actual topic on here!!

Otherwise Fett could go there with his praise for low-budget slasher flicks. That move looks HORRIBLE, although I will never find out for myself because I will never spend one cent or one second of my time watching crap like that. And you are proud of it coming in 7th at the box office?? That might be acceptable for some arthouse film on limited release, but that piece of shit got a wide release! It wasn't heavily advertised probably because the studio realized what a massive turd it had on its hands and didn't want to throw good money after bad. If you want some blood and guts I can send you over to Iraq and you can experience it first-hand!

And they supposedly suck shit too! If that is the company that 1000 Corpses is in, then it just proves my point. By the way, it came in 9th, not 7th, although boxofficemojo.com wasn't reflecting Sunday's receipts when I looked at it, so maybe all the freaks showed up on Sunday and propelled it to 7th. Either way it is more than a direct-to-video stinkfest like that deserves. As for the level of patheticness of D&D vs. video games, they along with comic books and genre film obsessiveness are ALL things that the public at large tends to consider geeky or dorky. To belittle D&D players as losers while being a professed video game/comic/cartoon/Star Wars buff does not really carry a lot of weight.

In an interview, Patrick Stewart said that there were four "early prototype Sentinels" at the end of X2. Not as sophisticated as the comic book version of the big guys, but still, GIANT FREAKIN' ROBOTS! And there's a scene in the movie, at the Lake Alkali military base, where Wolverine enters a Weapon X lab, looking for answers to his past, and we see a giant Sentinel head just standing there. Wolvie doesn't really pay any attention to it, but when he leaves the lab, the Sentinel head opens its eyes! SENTINELS!!!! No wonder this movie cost over 150 million! - I WANT YOU, but not in that way.

All you do is snipe away. Snipe snipe snipe. Look, if I admit that I made the panty throwing story up, and I admit I didn't grow up in the ghetto, and I admit that I'm still a virgin, will you guys please leave me the fuck alone? Chet, Stan, Brass, let it end here. I admit I made that shit up, and I know I'll be butchered and made fun of for a few days around here, but I'm sick of it. Just stop!! This is one of the hardest things to do, but if coming clean is what it will take, then so be it.

This was a wide release. It's not like it opened only in NYC and LA. It opened in my town which isn't all that big. The fact is that movie theaters are in the business of making money and they are going to show the films they think are going to put asses in the seats. The fact that they'd rather keep showing Agent Cody Banks than pick up 1000 corpses is pretty fucking pathetic.

Thats right, not Spider-Man, DullDevil, Hulk, Superman, Batman, Blade, Sliver Surfer, Supergirl, LXG. Nothing. X-Men 2 is the top of the line, and everybody knows that. Bryan Singer got the freedom to do what he wanted and this review shows that Fox made the right decision the second time around. Forget Reloaded, its all about X2.

Harry's metric ton body could've been used for the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants' character. Fett probably drives around town in his old Chevy Nova pretending he is in Slave I then puts a frozen 12 pound turkey in his trunk and pretend is Han Solo.

We never said we knew exactly where they were. If we did then we would only have had to tell Blix where to look for them. And last I checked there are numerous facilities that are being tested now to verify that they wre used to produce WMDs, including a mobile factory they found, those warheads tipped with VX gas, and several other underground bunkers. I also heard the former head of the Iraqi's nuclear program who defected 6 years ago on NPR talking about how they know about numerous WMD factories that haven't even been disclosed to the media yet, much more than anything we publicly know about now. And the continued whining and protesting after the war is now basically over is totally useless. Out of 50 million Iraqi civilians how many died as a result of this war? 1,000 under the worst case estimates there are? Gee that's probably about one month's worth of Saddam's victims that will now live that he is gone. Come on Fett, you just admitted you made up half your persona on AICN, now come all the way clean and admit the war was the right thing.

Why waste bandwidth on back and forth bitching when we have what sounds like a fantastic movie to discuss? First off, great review, concise, well thought out, and heartfelt. That's how I likes'em. I especially liked the MLK, Malcolm X, comparison. Simply brilliant. Now as to the movie, I for one am extremely glad they didn't waste any time on retreading shit from the first movie. If you saw the first one you should know it, and if you didn't see it then what the hell are you doing here now? I can't believe how many people i've come across who went to see Two Towers , and not only had they not seen Fellowship, but they hadn't read any of the books at all. Consequently they didn't know what the hell was going on and thought it was stupid. I have a very different opinion of what is stupid. Here's hoping Halle Berry hangs in for the next one.

haha, no... I'm so psyched for this movie. How great has the casting for these films been! Hugh Jackman has got to love this role, and sounds like Cummings and Brian Cox are fantastic as well! The only minor casting gripe I have is with Cyclops. But I can't decide whether I don't think much of James Marsden or if it's because they just haven't given him much to do...

Fine!!!! I made up the CPA thing too. You asswhipes will never beat me in a debate. Obviously trying to come clean didn't work. But at least you can stop with the panty jokes. I FUCKING MADE IT UP!! ALRIGHT?? Please, for all you people that dont understand yet. They are cloning my user id. CLONING IT!! Its like something out of a god like Lucas movie. If you want to know the real me, just check my email address. I'll throw your fucking panties in your faces if you dont LEAVE ME ALONE!

Daredevil was only better than I expected because I had such low expectations to begin with...it was mediocre at best for me but it did some things well like the Radar(sonar) sense and Bullseye's character. That DD costume sucks arse and so does Ben Affleck(Thomas Jane would have been solid). He was all wrong no matter what Harry says...So far, Superman and Spiderman are the best looking Screen Superheroes-they are because their costumes look exactly like they do in the comics...hhmmm...

I can't wait. I think the Marvel movies are getting better and better--and yes, I think DD was better than Spider-man, despite what some naysayers claim. It had a better story and was a more mature film. Although I DO agree that Guy Pierce would have made it even better. But Hulk? Hulk is going to be the best Marvel movie yet.

By panty obsessed, I mean that fake Fett likes to sniff em and wear em. I throw them in the bitches faces when I'm done soiling her. Then I call her mommy to let her know her daughter is a whore! Thats not what I mean by obsessed you panty obsessed freak! Fuckin panty wearer. Someone should fuck you and throw those in your face.

Enough of this snipe snipe snipity sniping. OUR COUNTRY IS AT FUCKING WAR! Emporer Bush is seriously fucked if he thinks he can bring down Saddam's Republican Gaurd. And for such an "EEEVVIILL" army, its no surprise that the are the REPUBLICAN guard. NO blood for oil! NO blood for oil! How would you like it if the Iraqis came and bombed us for regime change? That would teach us a lesson!! I can only wish death for all the American POWs so that we can know the suffering of war that the Iraqi people know now. It serves the mothers and fathers right for thier baby killers.. i mean children to die. What kind of parent would allow a child to join the facist republican army anyway. You "children" deserve to die motherfuckers!!

I cant wait for the brainchildren at the networks to make the Jessica Lynch story. I hear there is a scene where her Iraqi captors rape the shit out of her and throw her panties in her face. Classic! Boo yah! If it wasn't tax season, and I wasn't a CPA, youre silly ass would be mine Chet. You'll never match me in a debate. All you do is snipe. I should fuck you like a bitch and throw your bitch panties in your face like that redneck west virgina whore that was so stupid, she got her ass lost from the American Empire and captured. Death to American soldiers remaining in Saddam's sovereign land. TEACH US A LESSON!

Fettastic, Fettarific, The REAL FETT, ONE FETT, all me. It doesn't matter what I do. The stalk me wherever I go. They do this because they are obsessed with me, not because I post off topic bullshit everyday. They do this because they want to be ME!!, not because every single person in these talkbacks hates me. There really isn't anything I can do. I have to pay homage to an undeveloped star wars character in every one of my new screen names after I get banned for going off topic, so its easy to spot me. They are jealous nothing more nothing less.

I think they want to be WITH you. As in partner. If they are male then this is how they let off some stress from having homosexual urges. It doesn't mean they are gay, but that they are sexually confused. I highly doubt they are female though. Of course, it all depends on how long this has being going on. If its been more than a month I'd be very worried for your stalkers. Whether they think they are having a bit of fun or not, they are damaging themselves. Oh well, better mention something about X2, which will be brilliant. I wonder how long it is.

I don't think I've ever read a review here at AICN, gone and seen the film and thought that the review was even remotely right or true. People gush so much on this site that it oughtta be wrapped in gauze. So, I use the measure of three in most cases. Whatever a reviewer says about a movie, I assume the reality to be lower than stated by a factor of three. So if Harry says Blade 2 is 'crotch-kickingly spaz-tastic!', I assume it to be 'mindless escapism, punctuated by moments of moderate to good violence'. Then I can safely decide whether or not to see it. This factor has to increase to about five when talking about comic book movies though - since for the majority of contributers to this site lose their bullshit filters completely if the titular characters wear spandex (seeming to dwell on the minutae of how much the film reflects the comic as opposed to how much the film reflects a good film). Since this movie is akin to the 'The Empire Strikes Back', according to Mori, it's more likely, 'Weekend at Bernie's 2' - pretty much the same formula as the first, with a few bigger scenes and some more money left over for the end. Some will like it better, some will not. Oh sometimes they fool you - Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes, Paul Newman and a story about gangsters, glowing reviews from Mori - how can this be wrong?) - but if you remember the rule of three you can be better assured of making wiser decisions with your movie going money. Well, either that or I'm stunningly full of shit - you be the judge.

then you all must enjoy slating each other. If you didn't like this, you wouldn't post. There is no dignity to be kept on talkback, so it can't be for that reason. I think this debate rages because you have very little to do at these given moments in time. So by hating each other you amuse yourselves. Its not all as bad as first seems, but the cure is to stop posting. On topic: I wonder what the X2 theme from Ottman will be like. I didn't mind Kamen's work, and it will be wierd if the theme has changed, just like Batman did with Forever.

As I say, just ignore the impersonators, it's only the internet. I'm gay, and even if I wasn't, I wouldn't mind someone suggesting I was. Hell, make me say racist stuff, or make me look like a darkie moron, it doesn't bother me. Freddie Prinze Jr rules!

Well, I can assure you I'm not a Fett (wish I was though... no wait, that would mean I'd die like a stupid mofo). I have been around here for a while, but only rarely post. I'm in Scotland, therefore don't get to see some films till after you Yanks. But we do get X-Men 2 before you, even if it is only a day.

...he called us losers. Seriously man, look at Fett, thats a troll. Hell Grimloch puts a lot of effort in as well, and whats the best you can come up with? Little kids and losers. I suppose your follow up is 'basement dwelling virgins?'. Try and be a little more creative next time, you never know, you might start a flame war.

The_Real_Custer is not me jerkoff. He posted something on topic each and every time he had something to say. All of his posts seemed without puss leaking rage and logic holes. And for that matter, his posts didn't need to be chaptered and footnoted due to their extraordinary rambling length. He didn't drop a reference to a date he's had with a girl, nor did he mention the throwing of panties. He is obviously not me. Fucking republican fascist jerkwad!

Thats not my email address. I guess I'll be changing my ID now. Its funny the first time though. But just for the record, I'm not gay. And from this short spell on this talkback, I can see you are all trolls.

Get a room already. Sheesh.___The Real Custer: Yes, you. The real Real Custer. You'll have to change your ID and your email addy in order to avoid the impersonations. They've figured out a loophole that allows them to register very similar nicks that show up the same when they post. It's juvenile, but they obviously have nothing better to do with their time. It's proof positive that living in your parents' basement and wanking all day leads to creativity at least.____To whoever was dancing with glee that Remy's in X2, allow me to cut in. I'm delighted as he was one of my favorite characters way back when I read X-Men, but I'm very disappointed to hear it's only a small part. I hope we see more of him in the next movie.____The Real Bee...or is it? ;)

April 14, 2003, 5:50 p.m. CST

by Hamtaro

Australia gets this movie before England and America. We're getting it April 30th!

You've spent all day going back and forth about how pathetic the other is for wasting time posting shit! It's not an exaggeration, it's been THE WHOLE DAMN DAY! I'm just glad most of the conservatives are boycotting because then there would be even more pointless banter and bullshit clogging this thing up. Christ Almighty, you people are incorrigible. When are we going to get back to the good old days where the only bullshit flowing through here was "Harry is a fat fuck, hack, dumbass, etc."? Here the talkback order has finally been restored and you guys are having a pissing contest over who sucks more, instead of having a pissing contest over whether or not this movie will rule/suck. For shame

LOL, my sides hurt. Hey webmeisters, why not put flashing red dots next to TB's where Fett flamewars are in progress, that way they could be enjoyed (or avoided) at each users disgression. Just a thought.

Can't wait for X2, but to be honest i saw nothing it them trailers to make my jaw drop. Sure the fx and NC looked great, but it wasn't mind blowing. I have no doubt in my mind that X2 will be entertaining, but I don't trust reviews from fanboys where even though the movie is decent, they go overboard, and say how great it it. I remember the reviews on how Spiderman was great, and that Rami got it right, which he did, but Spiderman wasn't great, it was just entertaining to me, and I did enjoy it. DD was lower then spiderman, but it was still entertaining. The 1st Xmen was good, and what did it for me was the characters and well they were done, but the action was preety weak, but i still like it better then Spiderman and DD. Where's here's hoping that X2 is all what Moriarty has said, and even though he's on FOX's payroll, I have faith he wouldn't compromise himself my bragging about this movie, and it turns out to suck.

I thought the first X-Men was just a trailer for what was to come. Everything was set up but nothing was developed or even lingered on. We basically got introduced to all the characters and learned their backstories but never got any cool action scenes or even a sense of danger or dread to build up the less than underwhelming climax. The only standout in the cast was Hugh Jackman. I will see X2 not because I liked the first one, but because I think that now that we've met everyone, we can finally get on to the story portion of the films.

The peeve- and a very irritating one- is the miscasting of Famke Jansen as Jean Grey. Don't get me wrong, I've loved her since "Goldeneye" but I've been an X-Men fan since #110- the Circus issue followed later by the Savage Land and culminating in the classic X-Men #138- Death of the Phoenix. Ms. Jansen is not Jean Grey, she would've made a better Moira MacTaggert! Its like when Kirsten Dunst played MJ instead of Gwen Stacy! AAARGH!! The movie is good but that one bit of miscasting prevents it from becoming a total gem in my eyes. Recently saw the "Pentagon Papers" on FX and convinced that Claire Forlani would've been a perfect Jean Grey. Forlani is the right age and looks better with Marsden. With Famke, Marsden looks like he's her boytoy!! Anyhoo, all water under the bridge...can't wait for opening night!!

First of all, your anti-war rants are not only dated, but without merit and retarded. No blood for oil...yeesh, read a book instead of getting online and jerking off to whatever twisted shit you jerk off to (probably the picture of the terrorist bombings, or a digitally altered picture of American civilians dying...hot shit, isn't it, you fuck?). Know why I only post once or twice every day or couple of days now? I've been GOING OUTSIDE. Talking to people. Reading books. Learning. Meeting girls. It's a tremendous fucking feeling to see a vagina in real life and not on a screen. Keep the faith, Fett mon frere, your time will come. Second of all, it's nice to see your confidence in your posts, it makes for amusing reading. HOWEVER, you gotta stop contradicting yourself, by saying "Stan likes men" and saying in the next post, "See? Typical Stan- turning to gay jokes." Don't do shit like that, cuz it makes you look like the worst type of troll: a pointless one. And I looove a good fucking troll. But the pointless ones have got to go. And you, Fett, are Fuck. Ing. Point. Less. So lick my bizalls, bitch!

This movie is going to rule, and this is going to be one hell of a summer. The only way it could get better is if Peter Jackson said what the hell and decided to release "Return of the King" right now. The only good thing about me going to see "Anger Management" was that I got to see the kickass "Matrix" trailer. That one trailer catapulted it to the top 3 of movies I can't wait to see. Number one being "Pirates of the Carribean". May can't get here quick enough.

I get it now. He's an Internet Ali-G, a talkback Borat. You all think you're ripping into him and pissing him off, but he's actually putting you on. He's not really that way, he's just doing it to get a rise out of you and a laugh at home. Please tell me you're putting them on Fett. Please, please tell me I'm right. Because otherwise, well... this whole thing is just way too sad.

But instead of a flashing red dot, how about a little flaming Boba Fett icon? Or how about this: make a special link just for Fett flame wars. Think about it, a whole section devoted to nothing but Fett fueled madness. That would be awesome. Oh how I love it... these flame outs are usually the only reason I even read the talkbacks. I won't even open the talkbacks unless I see Fett disparagingly mentioned in one of the subject lines. It just tickles me, I can't explain it. It's like caustic comfort food. When Fett gets banned its like part of me dies, and when he's back I'm reborn. Well, maybe that's taking it a bit far but I do love it. Comedy... absolute, unadulterated comedy.

Heres a newsflash for you.... YOU'RE ALL LAME!!!! Yep, I'm talkin' to you, jerkoff. How about discussing the movie with a modicum of intelligence? Too much to ask? Listen, i'm sick of y'all's high school style bullshit. Take it out to the parking lot already and SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!! WHO CARES???? I sure don't. Go ahead, call me "gay". Watch me weep like a school girl. Seriously, you guys really are pathetic. You are what makes this site suck. You know who you are.

You see, message boards and talkbacks house many of the Earth's most insecure, neurotic people imaginable. Without much of a life beyond the confines of their electronic womb, they lash out at others, poised to use the most obscure references and/or geek mantras to liven up their, unfortunately, pointless lives. Yep, I'm a loser too, or else I wouldn't be posting here. I would be out with REAL people, doing something worthwhile... not pretending to be badass while I badmouth other, probably mentally/socially fucked up people. Real badasses go out and fuck shit up for REAL; they certainly don't hide behind a monitor, typing away furiously at all hours of the night. And thus, I grow tired and prepare for bed... oh yeah, and LAST!
Nothing more elitist than feeling proud of bashing someone who posted first to an internet article... jesus, talk about lame...

God, that sounds like a GREAT SCENE! X2 sounds like it will be a pure joy, an ecstatic thrill! The SETS are absolutely incredible, whoever is responsible is a genius. Only black steel in the Matrix ships, but the X-MEN ones look straight out of the best comic book, so imaginative, detailed, like there's no cloth over the merchandise. Nice review, I actually wish there was more of it! Jango, good luck with making her a geek! That poster looks so faked. When does X2's Soundtrack come out? I want to listen to it! But wait...Mori, didn't you claim to like the loathesome DareDevil ? I can't wait, I'm SO HAPPY!

you seriously will not believe what the studios have in store for us. Not only is there a surprise plot twist that connects the storylines of X2 and Return of the King (hint - it involves Nightcrawler) - it also ties in to the Matrix series!!!! www.corematrix.org has exclusive info on the twist, which is expected to be revealed in Matrix Revolutions.

yes it was good, but it wasn't like 'oh man, that was sweet'. i think a lot of people walked out of there going "thank god it wasn't batman and robin". the second looks sweet ass sweet, as long as the plot ties in somewhat with the first, unlike the batman movies, which could be in almost any order and still make sense. by the way, alan cummings as nightcrawler = genius.

This is a little late in the game, I don't know if you'll get to read this but here goes: It's not only Jean Grey who is miscast, it's more or less every X-woman. Halle Berry? Try Angela Bassett. Anna Paquin as Roque? Okay, in the film she was Kitty Pryde/Jubilee hybrid with Rogue's moniker and powers. When Roque was introduced, way back as a part of brotherhood of evil mutants or whatever, Michael Golden drew her really sharp-featured and sexy in a very cold way and that's pretty much how Rogue's been ever since. Actually, Rebecca Romjin-Stamos would have been perfect Rogue if they wouldn't have taken the Wolverine's teenage sidekick route with her. (Come to think of it, why did they not just go with Kitty Pryde/Sprite/Shadowcat character. Her and Logan's relationship is classic stuff.) And of course, Romjin-Stamos is too young to be Mystique, not that you can tell underneath all that blue stuff. So yeah, X1 was pretty much all over the place when it came to wimmen, whereas male casting took was solid (McKellen, Stewart - no brainers) took some risks that paid off (Marsden, Jackman). Now if somebody would just explain who the hell thought Toad would make a great villain...come to think of it, they should make a Taskmaster film with Ray park in the title role.

Thank you. You talkback Fett/Chet bashers made my morning. I was in a bad mood when I got to work but your ravings and insults made me laugh to the point that I have a migrane. Thank you so much. Please keep it up!

christ, i can't wait to see x2 and reloaded. i can only pray the bosnian bootleggers are quick on the draw with these two. i don't want to have to wait to get back to western europe to check these flicks out.

ON-TOPIC: Heck, if X2 can improve upon the first X-flick, I'll happily add the DVD to my Netflix list for future viewing! Will it be perfect? Hell no. Do I wish that they'd left Kitty Pryde as Wolvie's kid-sidekick? Yep. OFF-TOPIC: I've got to hand it to you, these Fett-flame-wars are friggin' hilarious! I mean, first we have regular posters switching IDs, now we have to check the email address of each one to confirm who they came from... a riot, I tell ya! GypsyT and BuyNothing, I think you're onto something. They should create a talkback specifically for the Fett wars. at first, you'd thiunk they'd be no fun, because why would Fett post there? But judging by what we see here, I suspect he'd jump right in. Oh, and Weedy... I think your measure of 3 might be too conservative, but it's a start. Finally, if I start telling everyone how gay I am, it's clearly an imposter... or me posing as an imposter.... or an imposter posing as me, posing as... oh who the @#$% cares?!?

Hey i know who mutant 143 is....also known as jason 143...
it jason wyngard...also known as master mind....member of the brother hood and the hell fire club in the comics.
His power is to cast illusions..
later

Black leather costumes still doesn't do it, and where the hell is Angel in all of this? And why are Cyclops and Beast relegated to secondary status? No Cyclops, no X-Men. It's as simple as that. Nevertheless, I will have to take my youngest kid to see X2. She loved the first film, and I just bought her the bound edition containing the first 10 issues of X-Men as one of her Easter presents.

like the man said comic book movies are to comic book fans years of reading and years of imagining all these different characters. problem is, you can't expect someone who is in charge of making a movie to portray a vast, ecclectic audiences' individual's imagination. all you can do is hope they do a good job and give you a different perspective that could have the potential to tell a very interesting story (this does not apply to shit like Superman IV, Batman & Robin, and Punisher of course). sooooooo in closing: STOP CRITICIZING EVERYTHING YOU BIG BUNCH OF A-HOLES. Or go to hell i don't care which.

all these movies look sweet , but i just had a peek at the new international trailer for T3....i just added it to my must see movies of summer '03....wasnt even gonna rent it before i saw that either..

I kinda have to agree with you. This fellow stan is quite the loser.
On a nother note
I'm very excited about this movie. Cyclops is and will always be the coolest x-man with the coolest powers. I mean, he just looks at something, presses a button, and it gets shot. How great is that!!!??? He's supposed to be the damn leader. It's definately a shame that he got so little screen time in the first flick. Maybe it'll be better this time around....but I kinda doubt it. But yeah, I'm just happier than a pig in shit though because these such movies are being made. It's all I ever wanted to see when I was just a kid.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Styler bears awesome news. First off, Daredevil was shit, bottom line. Go to empireonline.co.uk for a non-fanboy review of X2. Empre are the biggest film magazine and best too in the UK. I believe Singer has done it again. The Styler has spoken, let the fanboys know.

The people picking on you are losers too. Notice the "too" in that sentence, jagoff? Get a life and quit crying like a little bitch. "Oooh, oooh, look here everybody! Look here!" Don't you realize if you weren't such a crying little shiteater, you wouldn't have anyone on your ass? As long as you continue to post off-topic about inane shit like your "girlfriend" liking movies you force here to watch, you will be belittled like the no-life loser you truly are.
Having said that, I have friends who have seen X2 and all seem to agree it is better than the first. LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, however, is another story...

when does this "Jango_Fett VS the Legion of Idiots" movie come out???.................I've never even heard of it, and I can't find anything about it on any other site............Actually, I'm not even sure why I'm in this talkback for some retarded movie I've never even................Wait. Wait just a minute........I think like 17 hours ago, before I went numb and drooled all over my keyboard, this was actually a talkback about X2............Nah, that can't be right. People have better things to do than pick virtual fights with each other and act like complete retards for hours on end. But then again, that and saying that movies that are months away from release or are still in preproduction "Suck Donkey" is what Gore invented the internet for......................Oh, and if The U.S. does indeed take over Syria and the rest of the world, I suggest you get married. That's what saved me from the Bush. (Not that I'm all that happy about it).